palmetto

noun pal·met·to \ pal-ˈme-(ˌ)tō also pä- , päl- , pȯ- , pȯl- \

Definition of palmetto

plural palmettos or palmettoes

1 :any of several usually low-growing fan-leaved palms; especially :cabbage palmetto

2 :strips of the leaf blade of a palmetto used in weaving

Recent Examples of palmetto from the Web

Two hours before dawn on a mid-April morning, a single 10-inch mortar traced a line through the dark palmetto sky and exploded above a building where 87 Americans sat surrounded by six thousand of their countrymen.

— david murphy, Philly.com, "Fear and loathing and Malcolm Jenkins," 18 Aug. 2017
Highland County Sheriff’s Office said Ebersole, 46, got chased into a palmetto patch just off U.S. 98.

— david j. neal, miamiherald, "Runaway sex offender grabbed near home three days after absconding," 3 Aug. 2017
The swampy lowlands were rich with flowering plants, palmettos and ferns.

— mike sager, Smithsonian, "Will the Public Ever Get to See the “Dueling Dinosaurs”?," 28 June 2017
Select hardier palms, such as cabbage palm, windmill palm, Mediterranean fan palm, Canary Island date palm, palmetto and needle palm.

— dan gill, NOLA.com, "This week's gardening tips: look for chinch bug damage, don't cut back parsley," 17 June 2017
Their outdoor sign welcomed hunters and advertised a bacon palmetto burger.

— lauren collins, The New Yorker, "America’s Most Political Food," 14 Apr. 2017
An important action that can help bears is restricting the harvest of palmetto berries growing in the wild.

— National Geographic, "Dead Cubs, Illegal Baiting Lead to Bear Hunt Suspension," 28 June 2016
Arriving at the Center for Elephant Conservation in May, while the scrubby palmetto are blooming white, will be elephants ranging in age from 5 to 47.

— alex brandon, National Geographic, "Ringling Will Retire Circus Elephants Two Years Earlier Than Planned," 11 Jan. 2016
Hike, bike, or ride a horse on their 90 miles of trails to one of the many private natural nooks on the property; seek out Secret Pools and Falls, an unforgettable spot draped in orchids and palmetto palms.

— joshua berman, Fox News, "Belize In 5...," 22 Nov. 2010

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'palmetto.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Illustration of palmetto

Origin and Etymology of palmetto

modification of Spanish palmito, from palma palm, from Latin

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First Known Use: 1615

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PALMETTO Defined for Kids

palmetto

noun pal·met·to \ pal-ˈme-tō \

Definition of palmetto for Students

plural palmettos or palmettoes

:a low-growing palm with leaves shaped like fans

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